Whether you’re suspected with heart disease or a lung disorder, a computed tomography (CT) scan is an accepted and standardised tool for accurate diagnosis. But is the radiation

exposure from CT scan safe for you?According to a new study published online in the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, increasing use of CT scans are putting patients at a higher lifetime risk of cancer. In order to reduce the danger, an advanced CT scanning equipment has been developed. A study was carried out by Beaumont Health System to confirm the effectiveness of this new equipment in 2,085 patients from nine centres in the US and Middle East. Results showed that the patient radiation exposure rate was reduced by 61 percent with the newer scanners. What’s more, these scanners showed no significant difference in image quality. This factor was especially true for patients having CT scans done for coronary artery disease , pulmonary embolism or aortic disease. ‘Newer technology makes a difference in terms of radiation exposure, and the difference is quite large,’ said study author Kavitha Chinnaiyan, director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging Research at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. ‘Clinicians must understand that imaging studies not only have a major impact on the care of an individual patient, but also on trends in radiation exposure, as well as overall health care costs,’ Chinnaiyan added. ‘Incidental findings may require further imaging studies with other radiation-based tests. It is important to discuss the risks and benefits of testing with patients, and to refer them to centres that offer newer technologies,’ she said. The study results provide information that will help in setting standards for radiation safety quality control in cardiovascular imaging. The study also emphasizes that patients should ask certain critical questions when they are referred for a radiation-based test. They should understand what the procedure involves,what the risks of the particular technique are and if there are any alternative imaging choices. Here are some facts on risks of radiation exposure that you should know about: A radiation dose depends on the system to be scanned: A radiation dose is commonly measured in millisievert (mSv) units. And the dose delivered varies depending on the organ or system that is to be scanned. For example: An X-ray of the chest exposes you to 0.04 mSv of radiation, while an X-ray of the abdomen may expose you to 1.2 mSv of radiation. Similarly, radiation dose delivered by CT scan can range from 0.001 mSv to 25 mSv. Radiation doses above 100 mSv are dangerous: Studies on radiation-induced cancer-risks clearly indicate that a radiation doses above 100 mSv is dangerous. But, the radiation induced risk of doses between 10-100 mSv, like ones used in medical imaging, is still controversial because while the radiation dose during one scan might not be harmful, the number of times a patient has to undergo them could put him/her at risk. For example, a single CT scan of the abdomen may deliver around 10 mSv of radiation, but since the patient may have to undergo multiple CT scans, it considerably increases the radiation exposure to the cancer-inducing range. MRI scan does not expose you to radiation: MRI or magnetic resonance imaging scan makes use of radio waves unlike an X-ray or CT scan that use ionizing radiation. It uses strong magnetic fields to produce 3D image of a section of the body. MRI saves you from radiation-induced cancer risk, but the strong magnets in the machine may cause implanted medical devices like pacemakers to heat up. With inputs from IANS and http://www.thehealthsite.com/